Postgame from the Carrier Dome

A few quick notes before I scramble out to catch the end of the Ohio State-Michigan game...

D.J. Hernandez sprained a wrist in the third quarter, but it's not viewed as serious. He returned to finish out the game. Dan Murray suffered an A-C sprain (the joint in the shoulder that connects the arm to the rest of the skeleton) and his status is unknown. Same for cornerback Ernest Cole, who injured his knee and left the game in the third quarter.

Just about everyone on the UConn sideline thought Matt Nuzie's field goal was good, including the two who had the best view - Nuzie and holder Matt Bonislawski. Of course, everyone in America who watched the replays saw it was good, too. Unfortunately, the play is not reviewable according to NCAA rules. Nuzie, who hadn't seen a replay when he spoke to media afterward, was livid. Several of his friends had left text messages telling him the ref's blew it, and he was, to say the least, frustrated.

A few quotes to mull over...

Edsall on Larry Taylor: "I do wish our punt returner caught the ball more. It's a play he normally makes."

Edsall on the missed field goal: "I've always told our kickers that if they just put it down the middle, you don't put it in the hands of an official to make the call."

Hernandez on Syracuse's D: "They were doing a good job of chasing me around. I really couldn't spring loose on any of the scrambles. We had our chances, we just didn't capitalize on them."

Danny Lansanah on the defense: "I think there was a lack of focus. Today's game came down to playing responsible football. We weren't filling the gaps so they got seams and they took advantage of it. It was a collective problem on defense."

Donta Moore on the loss: "I am very surprised that we didn't come out with a win today because we all knew what was at stake with the bowl situation. We knew we had to come in here and get a win, but we didn't take care of that. I feel this loss was a big setback."

Greg Robinson on the secondary blitzes: "It was a mixture. The key is to never let the quarterback get a rhythm. That was our intent and I thought we had him out of rhythm for a good period of time, really, until the last drive and he made a couple of good throws."

Robinson on having a halftime lead: "That was great. It was timely and it was about time. All of a sudden now they are a little more one-dimensional. That is what you are striving to do is make them a one-dimensional team."